


How Miracles Happen

by flowerpetalsandwrittenwords



Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, I wish we had a Christmas episode, Implied Ellick, and so much Slibbs!, family time with the team, no one can tell me they don't love each other, not sure about the timeline, possible end to s17e11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28137498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerpetalsandwrittenwords/pseuds/flowerpetalsandwrittenwords
Summary: After Gibbs has to say goodbye to both Ziva and Phineas on Christmas Eve, he is greeted by a dinner with Jack that turns into more. After all, what is Christmas without miracles? And sometimes, the only way to bring down the walls of a stubborn man is through a miracle.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Comments: 30
Kudos: 115





	1. Chapter 1

“Miracles happen.” Jack is so close to him as she leans in and whispers those words. He wants so badly to kiss her. He forgets entirely, for the moment that he stares at her, that Phineas and his foster parents are in the room. Gibbs looks between Jack’s eyes and her lips. He is amazed by how Jack got Phineas’ foster parents here and beyond thankful.

When Ziva thanks Jack for taking care of his heart, she is warmed and thankful, and more than ever, he just wants to talk to him about it. About them. When he says goodbye to Ziva at the elevator after going to drop Phineas and his foster parents off at the airport, Jack watches him. He stares several moments after the elevator has disappeared. He walks back to his desk quickly and without a word afterward to grab his things and go.

Jack runs up to him as he makes his way back to the elevator to leave, grabbing onto his arm. “What are you going to do tonight?” Jack asks, and he looks at her with eyes that ask her many questions instead of answering the one she had asked. “I just mean that I am hungry and I have no plans and maybe we could spend it together…” She stumbles for words because what she had said so far stirs inappropriate and blush-inducing thoughts to arise in her mind. She punctuates her words more, thinking through them, as she says, “I was wondering if you would mind me bothering you for a steak and glass of bourbon.”

He chuckles lowly and nods, saying, “Well, why didn’t you just say that?”

He walks into the elevator, and she says, “Okay. I’m going to go get my things, and I will meet—” The elevator door with him inside closes, interrupting her statement. She simply shakes her head with a sigh as she heads toward her office. Still, as she says goodnight and gives her Christmas Eve wishes to the team as they leave, a grin remains on her face. She is happy. He may be a jerk, but he is a jerk that she will be eating dinner with on Christmas Eve.

She pulls up to his house as snow settles on the ground. It wasn’t the easiest drive to get there, but she wasn’t about to turn around and head home. He walks outside to stand on his porch. “Got your go bag?” He calls, and she nods as she stands at the open door of her car. “Bring it. It’s going to be too icy to drive tonight.” She pulls it from her backseat. She tells herself that this wasn't her plan, but it was. She knows it. The more time with him the better. “Man, it’s cold out there,” Gibbs grunts as they move inside, and he goes immediately to stoke the fire.

“Yes, but it's worth it for a white Christmas,” she says as she pulls off her overcoat and then her shoes and settles on his couch. “I’m sorry to disturb your night, Gibbs. I could probably still head back if you want to be alone tonight and tomorrow.” He only waves his hand as a no as he pulls steaks off the fire. He sets it in front of her with a bourbon, and still she asks, “Are you sure it’s okay?” He just looks at her with a small grin.

He comes to sit next to her on the couch and mutters, “No one else I’d rather spend it with.” His words are quiet enough that they almost pass her by, but they don’t, and she blushes.

She cuts into the steak and takes a piece on her fork. She looks at him as she lifts the fork to her mouth. She smiles at the way he is concentrating on _It’s a Wonderful Life_ on the television, and how he is clearly focusing on not looking even in her direction. “Me too, Gibbs. Me too.”

He finally looks at her with a serious question in his eyes. She smiles and settles further back on the couch, crossing her legs beneath her. “So _It’s a Wonderful Life_ , huh, Gibbs?” He looks at her with a grin. “Sweet!” He turns back to the movie, and she turns her head to him. She listens to the movie, but for about a half of an hour, she does not look anywhere but him. She can’t help herself. He is so beautiful.

Still facing the TV, Gibbs questions, “Like what you see, Jack?” She actually jumps in her seat and blushes heavily. He stands and takes the empty plate from her to carry them to the kitchen.

When he returns, her eyes are now the ones plastered on the television, and he cannot take his eyes off of her. She is shivering despite the fire and the red of her cheeks. He pulls a blanket from where it is folded on the edge of the couch that is farthest from her. He unfolds it as he sits down next to her, laying it over both her lap and his.

As the movie progresses, Jack becomes more and more sleepy, realizing only then how little sleep she has gotten. She shivers again, and he wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She lays her head against his chest inherently, and she is instantly warmed.

When she yawns, Gibbs takes the opportunity to say, “Never answered my question, Jack.”

“Oh, yes, right…” She yawns again as she fights to keep her eyes open. “Absolutely, Gibbs. Absolutely.” She grins at him, and she lays her head back on his chest, stretching her arm over his stomach to hug him tighter to her.

As her breathing evens out as she is brought closer to sleep, Jack asks in a dreamy tone, “What about you, Cowboy? Like what you see?” Her breathing evens out and she stills while her question goes unanswered. She is not worried about his lack of response; she is too tired, and too comforted by his presence.

Only then, he says, “Oh, Jack, more than like…” She makes no more response than a smile as the words make it past the encroaching sleep. She falls asleep seconds later when he wraps both of his arms tighter around her and lays his head against hers. He ignores what he knows will be aches and pain in the following day, quiets the television, and allows sleep to take him as well.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of a creaking staircase and a sudden loss of warmth wakes Jack up from her sleep. She is still exhausted, but not as badly as before. She stands and calls out, "Gibbs!"

"Mhm. Down here," he calls back.

Jack pulls the blanket over her shoulders and makes her way down into his basement. With humor in her tone, she says, "And here I thought you'd be happy to spend the night with me."

She looks up to her with a smirk at her wording, and she immediately says, "I… I didn't mean it like that." She receives no response from him and comes by his side where he stands in front of a table carving small objects, seemingly unrelated to his boat. "What are you doing, Cowboy?" She takes a closer look and then says, "Christmas presents?"

"Yes. For the children at the shelter. I deliver them at dawn," he says.

Immediately, her heart warms even more to him and says, "Aw! Cowboy, I didn't know you did this. Have you been doing it for long?"

"Years," he answers. Before she can ask the next question that arrives in her head, he answers it with, "I worked on it and dropped them off after you went home last Christmas. I didn't want to bother you with the trouble then. You had a lot going on."

"Aw!" She says, drawing out how obviously sweet she finds him. She wraps her arms around him from the side in a hug.

Laughing, Gibbs says, "Jack…"

"What? That is the most sweet, most adorable, and most caring thing ever, and you have done so many things before. I just… Wow." She smiles up at him, and she hugs him more.

He pulls from the hug, saying, "I do need to finish these presents in the next couple of hours, Jack."

She lets go of the hug with a sigh, but smiles only moments later with a question. "So how can I help, Gibbs?"

"You sure you want to?" He asks with a grin at her enthusiasm.

She says, "Hell, yes." She squeezes his hand where it had been holding a toy quickly and says, "But first, Jethro, it's past midnight. Merry Christmas."

He smiles, and the beauty of it makes her lean forward faint. He takes her hand firmly in his. "Merry Christmas, Jack." He holds her eyes for what feels like forever. She loves it. She is the one that breaks eye contact, feeling that if the moment continued any longer that she would do something she isn't sure he would want. "Give me an instruction, Gunny. What can I do?"

He passes the doll he had just completed carving. With a grin, he says, "Paint this, Lieutenant." She laughs softly as she begins the job that they continue for the next hour and a half in a comfortable quiet.

As he carries the bag full of toys up the stairs, Jack follows excitedly behind him. "You can go back to sleep if you want. It's gonna be cold out there."

"And miss the joy on the kids' faces from your gifts? No!" Jack responds. She won't say it, but she is also looking forward to the joy on Gibbs' face when he gives them.

"Our gifts, Jack," he responds, giving her room to pass him. He moves to the kitchen to brew some coffee, and noticing that he had changed, she says, "If there is enough time, do you think I could shower real quick?"

He nods, and says, "You have a half hour. The bathroom is attached to the bedroom at the top of the stairs."

"Thank you," she calls as she grabs her go bag and runs up the stairs. She had been upstairs before when Elena was staying in Kelly's room, but the door to the room at the very top of the stairs was closed then. She walks in slowly and looks around, taking in the bare nature of the room. The plain white comforter on the bed, four pillows with matching white pillow cases, two nightstands, and two lamps. The big windows have white curtains, and Jack imagines it be a beautiful sight when Gibbs wakes in the morning and the sun shines through.

Realizing that she had been standing there for too long, Jack goes into the bathroom and turns on the shower. She pulls out her soap and her change of clothes. She washes her hair though she knows it is probably not good since they will be going directly into the cold, but she also doesn't want to risk her hair not being clean if there is any chance of her leaning her head on his chest at some point again. She runs back downstairs changed into a sweater and leggings. She drops her go-bag next to the couch again and accepts the coffee mug Gibbs offers.

"Your hair?" He questions as she takes a sip of the coffee and notices the addition of just the right amount of sugar.

"It's almost dry, Cowboy. I promise I'll survive the cold. We should probably get there though, so the gifts can be out before the children first wake. No need to ruin Santa," she says and takes a large gulp of the coffee.

"Mh," he grunts agreeably and takes one final drink before setting down the mug and pulling his coat over his U.S.M.C. sweatshirt. She pulls on her coat, shoes, and a toboggan before they head out of the house together.

The children's shelter is just a block from Gibbs' house which is good because they are barely able to make it even there in the snow in time. On the drive, Jack is silent because Gibbs is clearly focused. She balances the bag of toys on the floorboard of her seat where she sits cross-legged. She pays no attention to the road. She watches Gibbs. The streetlights illuminates his silver hair. When his head turns to look out for any oncoming traffic, she sees the beauty of his blue eyes twinkle in the dim yellow lights.

When they finally into a parking spot, the sky is just beginning to light. He gets out with a grunt, and she follows behind him in a hurry, matching his quick steps as best as she can.

Inside the building, they are met by a young woman who says, "Merry Christmas, Gibbs." The woman extends her hand to Jack introducing herself. "Hello. I'm the supervisor here with the great pleasure of watching these children wake each year on Christmas to the gifts made by Santa here."

"I had help," he says, nodding to Jack. He feels like it is necessary that this woman is aware of the great generosity that Jack has in such abundance.

"I didn't do nearly as much, but I was lucky to be an elf," Jack says with humor. Curious, Jack asks, "When do the children wake up?"

"One of them generally wakes right at sunrise, and then the rest are up in minutes. Speaking of which…" The woman trails off when she notices the rising sun outside of the window, and quickly moves to the large tree decorated with ornaments handmade by in children in the middle of the living room. The woman turns to them a moment later and says, "Feel free to stay if you'd like to see the kids with your gift."

"No, thanks. Merry Christmas," Gibbs calls back, taking Jack by the arm and leading her out.

Climbing into the truck facing into the large windows of the shelter, Jack looks at Gibbs and says, "So Santa, I was hoping we could sit in a corner and watch the joy on their faces. But by the way you dragged me out here, I get that is not what you wanted."

"Mh," he says while shushing her. She looks up at him, searching for a comeback to his brusqueness. Instead, he nods his head toward the building. Jack looks at them, and she is filled with joy and warmth and happiness immediately.

She reaches her hand out to squeeze his while staring at the sight before them. Children are running happily to the Christmas tree. They take their seats as the supervisor and other workers pass gifts out to the children. Each child receives two of the toys Gibbs made as well as a few wrapped gifts that must have also been donated. With those gifts unwrapped, the children run around the tree, playing with their gifts.

"Aww!" Jack says as she points out one child after another playing with what Gibbs had made and Jack had painted. Several boys runs around the tree with the wooden plane above his head. A few small girl play together with their dolls, talking and waving and giggling. Other kids race their toy cars on the windows seals. "Oh, I bet it is so loud in there. So joyful," Jack says smiling.

"Yes," Gibbs says. She can hear the smile in his voice, so she turns her eyes to him to see it. Their hands had become intertwined in those wistful moments. She smiles at him. She is so amazed by him and so proud.

She can't help herself. With the hand that is not holding his, she reaches up to touch the cheek lifted by his smile. "You are a very outstanding, Santa," she says warmly, leaning forward to be closer and to look in his gorgeous eyes.

He smiles for another moment and leans into her touch. His eyes move between her eyes and her lips, and hers does the same. They are both so obvious. Without realizing it, their faces are drawn closer. Like the Christmas before, Jack knows that all she would have to do is drop her head, and he would kiss her forehead. She loved that moment. She really did. But she doesn't want that again. She leans forward even more as she continues caressing her face. She will not be the one to back down. And neither will he.

He leans closer toward her. The bright smile on her face, the warmth of her near him, the care in her touch. All of it makes him want nothing more than to be closer to her. One of his hands goes to her waist. He releases the interlocked hand and brings it around her face as well. Jack's other hand goes around his neck and into his short silver hair. They lean further.

They kiss one another in the same moment. The kiss is long, lingering. He pulls her as close as he can with console between him. He pulls from the kiss reluctantly but only back a few inches, and the groan she releases then warms his insides. The groan turns into a smile when Jack's sees the smile on Gibbs' face as he watches her, staring into her lovely brown eyes that twinkle with golden specks.

Gibbs thinks back to moments before. His smile turns into a smirk when Gibbs says, "I prefer when you call me, Cowboy, not Santa."

She chuckles softly and leans forward. She kisses him on the cheek and says in a quiet tone, "Okay, Cowboy. Why don't we head back before we get snowed in here?"

He rubs his hands slowly along her waist. He takes the moment to kiss her forehead. He has no desire to let go. In fact, he only wants to pull her closer. "Yes, ma'am," he says, knowing that getting stuck in a snowstorm is the last thing he wants for them after their first kiss.

As they drive back, Jack leans sideways in the truck with her eyes plastered on Gibbs. This is no how she expected it go. To be honest, she was never sure it would ever happen. So many times she thought he would kiss, or thought she would have the courage to kiss him. So many times she thought that if anything would happen it would only be after a fight or a near-death experience. She realizes that it is only a kiss, but it feels like a beginning. She believes that it's a beginning.

They pull into his driving, and Gibbs hopes out of his seat immediately. He runs to her door and opens it. He offers her hand to step out of the truck, and she laughs, saying that she can step down by herself. She expects the hand anyways. After tripping in the snow only moments after she gets out of the truck, she happily welcomes an arm wrapping around her waist.

Jack falls back on the couch as soon as they get inside when Gibbs goes to build the fire. He suggests her going to sleep in his room while he takes the couch. Out of a desire to be close to the fire, she says no.

When he grunts in response, Jack laughs in realization and says, "Oh, I see… You wanted to be close to the fire. Well, I don't think it would hurt for us to fall back asleep here together. Maybe, you could even kiss me goodnight, but it's up to you where you sleep. But I get the couch."

He throws his head back in laughter. It is rare and beautiful sight that Jack would love to indulge in for as long as possible. Once the fire burns brightly, Gibbs stands and move to the couch. He sits next to her, pulling off his shoes as she had already done. She grabs the blanket for them. He moves back in the couch and lays down. Jack lays facing him on the outer edge of the couch.

Gibbs runs his fingers through her blonde hair, and he pushes several loose strands behind her ear. "Beautiful," he says. Her face smiles brightly with sleepy eyes. Gibbs leans forward and kisses her softly. "Night," he says as his eyes close, and he tightens his arms around her in a hug.

"Goodnight, Cowboy," she says as she snuggles closer into his chest. As they fall asleep in each other's arms in this moment, both would swear this to be one of the greatest moments in their lives.


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of coffee wakes them both in the same moment. Gibbs pulls Jack closer to him beneath a shared blanket that Jack has the most of. His arm beneath Jack aches in pain and he groans. In the altered state of sleep, he says, “There better not be sugar in that coffee, Jack.”

“I didn’t make any coffee, Cowboy,” she mutters as she pulls the blanket over her eyes, refusing to accept waking up despite the bright sun shining through the window. 

“No. We did, and we didn’t include any sugar. Sorry, Jack,” Nick says in a joking tone. 

Jack pulls loose on Gibbs' hold and finally sits up, stretching upward. She sighs from the ache in her muscles. “What time is it?” 

“The morning after,” Nick says with a smirk. Gibbs grunts, wondering why he ever stopped slapping the back of his agents' heads while Jack rolls her eyes at Nick.

“Ellie?” Jack specifies when her vision clears and she sees the blonde rummaging through the kitchen.

“It’s 10:00 a.m.” Ellie answers as the smell of pancakes and bacon begins to waft through the air. 

“Must have been up late last night, you two. Never thought either of you as the type to sleep in late,” Nick jokes again as Ellie carries coffee mugs over to both of them. Gibbs finally sits up and takes a gulp of the coffee. He looks at Jack as he drinks it, not saying a word. She smiles over her coffee cup at him that Ellie had, in fact, added sugar too.

Awoken more now by the coffee, Jack finally says after remembering, “Merry Christmas! I have both of your gifts in my car, but I am not moving quite yet.” 

“It’s good. We’ll open them tonight when everyone is here! I’m so excited that you’re doing this for us, Gibbs!” Ellie says. 

  
“Well, with everyone in town for the case…” Gibbs drifts off. He isn’t entirely sure why he decided to invite the team over to his house for Christmas dinner days ago, prior to everything with Phineas and his mom. The most he can admit to himself is that he wants everyone together in his home. It’s even more beneficial with Jack here.

Nick, who had wandered back into the kitchen, calls, “Ellie! I think the pancakes are ready!” Ellie runs back in there to get the pancakes, leaving Jack and Gibbs alone.

“Merry Christmas again, Gibbs,” Jack says quietly as she leans her cheek on her hand. 

He leans over to her and kisses her temple. “Merry Christmas again, Jack.” Gibbs is the first to stand, and he offers his hand to her which she gratefully takes. He pulls her up, and Jack smiles as she squeezes his hand before letting go to wrap both of her hands around the coffee cup. 

When Ellie and Nick walk into the dining room with four plates in their hands, Jack and Gibbs walk to the table together with Gibbs hand pressing comfortingly against her back. Pouring syrup on his pancakes, Gibbs asks, “Why ya here?”   
  
“Together?” Jack asks a little more quietly, looking straight at Ellie. Ellie and Nick look at each other for a quick moment, and Jack grins in understanding. Christmas must have been pretty interesting for them as well.

“We came to ask if you wanted to go to the diner for breakfast,” Ellie says. 

“But you were crashed on the couch together, so Ellie decided to make breakfast,” Nick says, looking at Jack with an assumption in his eyes that brings back their conversation a couple months before. She looks back at him with a similar look. She wouldn’t bring it up, but she has her suspicions. 

“I’m sorry the case kept you from traveling to see your parents,” Jack says. 

Ellie shrugs but looks at Nick with a grin. “It’s fine. Not the first time. It was worth getting to punch that bastard, and seeing Phineas find his family. Plus, I’d hate to miss Christmas dinner at Gibbs’ house.”

“You gonna help him cook, Jack?” Nick asks with his eyebrow raised. Having not thought about it before, Jack just shrugs and takes another bite of the pancake as she looks over at Gibbs. 

“Anyone who wants to help can,” Gibbs says. To take the attention off of her, he continues, “Means you both too.” 

Ellie and Nick both shake their heads, and Ellie says, “I still have a lot of presents to wrap.”

“What about you?” Gibbs asks Nick.

“Uh. Still have presents to buy.” Jack and Ellie laugh at his response, and Gibbs just shakes his head with a grin.

As they finish eating, Ellie gets a FaceTime call and walks into the living room and answers it while standing, saying, “Merry Christmas!”

She says hello to all of her many family members before her mom asks, “What are you doing? I hope you’re not alone.”

“Oh, I’m not. I’m having breakfast with Nick, Jack, and Gibbs. See!” She turns the camera so that her family can see them sitting around the table. They all wave as they collectively try to ignore that “ooo” from her mother following Nick’s name being said. 

Gibbs and Nick leave the room once they aren’t all on camera anymore, carrying all of the plates to the kitchen and washing them. “So… You and Jack, huh?” Nick questions. Gibbs just glares at him. “No worries. I won’t tell a soul, but you are pretty obvious.”

Gibbs glares intensifies. “Obvious?”

“Yeah, uh, yeah,” Nick stutters. Gibbs' eyes narrow. Nick scrubs at the dish he is washing for a moment before looking back at Gibbs. “Obviously, um, tired… Must have been really tired to accidentally fall asleep on the couch.” 

Gibbs breaks the glare as he drives the plates with a rag. “Mh,” Gibbs says without offering agreement or opposition. He isn’t going to make any statements that will spit on the suspicions that the team has about him and Sloane. They had only just kissed. It was perfect, and he wants so badly to do it again, but he isn’t going to say anything to anyone until Jack wants him to. For the rest of the time in the kitchen, they silently clean the dishes as Nick fidgets nervously, and Gibbs suppresses a grin because of it.

As Ellie paces in the living room, Jack goes to brush her teeth. When Jack returns, Ellie is saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Jack sits down on the couch where Ellie rests next to her. “They sound like they really miss you!” Jack says, squeezing her hand because she can see the homesickness in her eyes.

“I miss them too, but I’m still happy to be here. I just wish I could be with everyone I love at once,” Ellie says. 

“I get it…” Jack says, thinking of Faith immediately. To distract them both from thoughts of distant loved ones, Jack says, “So what are your plans for the day?”

Ellie shrugs, and Jack notices the split second where she looks to Nick in the kitchen. “Just wrap gifts and then come to dinner.”

“Is Nick going to join you for that time?” Jack asks, looking out the window at the snow-covered ground under the bright sun. The snow had stopped falling in the night, but it still lays thick on the ground. 

“I don’t know,” Ellie says, and Jack looks back at her at the sound of hope, and worry, in her voice. “He invited me to go with to see his sister and niece for lunch in a couple hours, but I’m not sure if I’ll go. It seems strange.”

Jack smiles at her and knows what she means. “Ellie, if he wants you there and you want to be there, then what is so strange. You’re supposed to spend Christmas with people that care, aren’t you?” Ellie nods, looking in her eyes and then to the boys as they return to the living room.

“Ladies…” Nick says as Jack grins up at Gibbs. 

“Well, Nick we should probably get going, so we can get the presents ready and make it to your sisters on time,” Ellie says with a grin. Jack and Gibbs both see the smile that is immediately displayed on Nick’s face. 

After a moment of joy, he pushes down his smile and says, “Yes, we do.”

With a “see you later” from all of them, Ellie and Nick are out the door and sliding into Nick’s car. As Nick backs out of the driveway, he says, “Well, they are a thing.”

Ellie smiles over at him. “Yes, obviously .”

“No need denying it,” Nick smiles over at her. 

Back in the house, Gibbs and Jack watch as Ellie and Nick drive away. “That was very sweet of them,” Jack says as she stands and walks closer to him.

“It was,” Gibbs responds. “But I wasn’t able to do what I wanted this morning,” he says, crossing the rest of the distance to stand right in front of her. He slides his arms around her waist as he leans closer to her.

“And what is that, Cowboy?” She looks up at him and wraps her arms around his neck. 

He leans down and takes her lips in a kiss. When they pull away, Gibbs whispers, “Give you a good morning kiss.”

“Best Christmas gift ever!” She says with a grin as she kisses him again.

“Yes, it is. But it might just rival what I got you as a present,” he says with a smirk playing his lips.

“Give me the gift then! It’s Christmas after all!” She says excitedly.

He shakes his head no as he kisses her cheek, her jawline, and along her neck. “No, no. I will show you later. Now, it’s time to make dinner for the family.”

“Okay,” she mutters breathlessly, caught up in the kisses he is placing on her skin. She pulls away from him reluctantly and says, “You gotta stop kissing me like that, or we will get nothing done.” He pulls back with a smirk. 

“As long as we can start this again later?” She nods and they move to the kitchen, but his hand never leaves her waist, and her eyes never leave him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's enjoying this! This chapter was just my attempt to throw some Ellick in there, and I really wanted to touch on the team's continued suspicions about them! I would love to know what you think! Anyways, it almost Christmas! Yay!


	4. Chapter 4

Finding a lot still needed for dinner to be made, Jack insists on making a grocery list before heading out to the grocery store. Upon Jack’s request, Gibbs drives to her apartment first, and he gets out to help her with the presents and desserts she had made already. She takes Gibbs’ hand as they head up to her apartment.

“Welcome,” she says, moving to the side so he can enter. “This is the first time you’ve been to my apartment, isn’t it?”

“Mh,” he grunts looking around at the nice apartment that resembles her perfectly. “No need when you were always showing up at my house.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she says walking to a closet to grab a bag and then to the Christmas tree where she begins to place all of the gifts in the bag. He moves to help her, and with each gift he places in the bag, he reads the label to try and find his. That is when he comes across the name  _ Faith  _ swirled in Jack’s pretty cursive on a present wrapped in silver paper unlike the rest of her red and green gifts.

“Want me to pack this too?” He asks, showing her the gift. 

“No,” Jack immediately responds, shaking her head, before looking right back at the other gifts under the tree. 

“Jack,” he says softly but also wanting to get her to talk to him.

She looks in his direction and sighs. “Look, Gibbs, I wanted to get her something in the case that… I don’t know… I hoped maybe she would call and want to meet, so I got a present. But she hasn’t. So I’ll keep it. You know, maybe I will have a chance to give it to her for her birthday or another Christmas someday.” He nods silently and places it back under the tree. After a few moments of quiet, Jack asks, “Are you not gonna ask what it is, Gibbs?”

“Not my business,” he says looking at her as she stands.

She laughs, but moves from the subject, saying, “Why don’t you get the desserts I made? I will get my change of clothes for later.” She disappears down a hallway as he moves into her kitchen. 

Jack is pulling a red sweater dress from her closet when Gibbs knocks on her doorway. He is looking around at her room when she says, “Did you get everything?”

“Mhm. Put it out in the truck too.” He is looking at her from a distance. His eyes move to the bed with the pretty comforter and the frilly throw pillows. Just like her. He had imagined precisely this. After all, there is beauty in everything about her. Of course, her bed would be pretty too.

“You don’t have to just stand there like that, Gibbs,” Jack says with a laugh while noting his discomfort.

Gibbs grunts as he pushes himself off the doorway where he had been leaning and walks over to her. He comes up to stand behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. “That’s pretty,” he says as he pushes her hair to the side and leans to place a kiss on her neck. 

She giggles as she examines the dress one more time to be sure and then pulls out a black coat that would better match her planned outfit than the brown one she's wearing now. “Thank you,” she says as he places a kiss and then another. She turns to face him then with the two articles of clothing in her hands and wraps her arms around his neck. She kisses him on the lips quickly, but then pulls back. “I need to get over to my leggings in the dresser over there.” 

With a grunt, he releases her and falls back to sit on the edge of her bed. He grins as she bends down to pick a pair of black boots off the ground. She looks back at the goofy look on his face when she stands and walks toward him, setting her things down on the bed. She kisses him on the neck, and as his hands wrap around her and begin to drop lower, she reaches over. She grabs what she’s been searching for. She places one more kiss on his neck and then pulls back as she hits the pillow on the back of his head. 

Gibbs looks at her surprised for a moment, and she tries to get up, but he just pulls her closer. In one swift moment, Gibbs flips them over, throwing her back against her many throw pillows on the bed. He leans over her as she laughs brightly. He leans down and kisses her up her neck, onto her cheeks, and finally her lips. 

She kisses back for minutes on end, but when they come up for air, she says, “I could kiss you all day, Cowboy, but we still have a lot to do. We need to get going.”

“Nah,” he says and pushes the sweater down enough to kiss her shoulder.

“Gibbs…” she sighs both from her growing desire and her knowledge that they have other things to do. “Gibbs. We should stop.” Gibbs just grunts and continues to kiss her. She can feel him about to mark her, and she takes the opportunity of his distraction. She uses her years of training that has built her strength, and she flips him in a quick movement. It is Gibbs’ turn to laugh. Hovering over her, she says, “Time to get moving, Cowboy. We can pick this up later.” She places a kiss on his forehead and hops up from the bed. He follows behind her reluctantly.

Running a little late, Gibbs and Jack hurriedly move through the grocery store, checking each thing off their list. “Gibbs, with everything we’re having to get last minute, you’re lucky the store isn’t sold out.”

“I got busy, Jack.” She looks over at him, seeing again how badly he misses Phineas as well as Ziva. It has been such a rough few days for him.She squeezes his hand before reaching to grab two bags of sugar. “We don’t need that much sugar.”

“If you plan on having me over more often, and I sure hope you do, then you need more sugar,” Jack says and Gibbs sighs despite the smile on his face. 

With everything checked off their list, they head to the checkout. Jack, though, stops and runs down one aisle. Gibbs sighs and follows her with the cart. He reaches her as she pulls several chocolate bars off the shelf and bags of smaller pieces of candy. “Jack…” he says with a grunt. 

“Relax, Gibbs. It’s for the kids!” Jack says.

“Yeah, right,” he looks at Jack with knowing eyes and a hand on her back. 

She looks at him with a smile and says, “Okay, so a couple of these chocolate bars are for me, but I can share.” Gibbs simply laughs and leans to give her a kiss. He is unable to help himself now that he can. 

“Come on, beautiful,” he says when they pull from each other. 

Thankfully, they make it through checkout quickly, and begin to prepare dinner as soon as they arrive. Jack and Gibbs work around each other easily, taking particular tasks and helping one another with aprons tied around their waists. 

As the time approaches, Gibbs places more and more kisses to Jack’s skin and lips. His hands only leave her when they must in order to be able to cook. He pulls her into his arms again to kiss her and Jack happily accepts it, but then she says, “Are you going to be able to keep from kissing me throughout the party?”

“Yeah.” He kisses her cheek. “Won’t be easy.”

She shakes her head. “Of course not, but there will be children here. Though, I think it will be the adult children with the biggest problem.”

He shrugs. “None of their business.”

“Nope. But I should go change,” she says, pulling off the apron. “If you didn't need to watch the food, I would allow you to join me. It's just too bad.” She smirks at the look of giddiness that reaches his bright blue eyes.    
  


Even as Gibbs returns his focus to cooking, a smile stays on his face. Just knowing that he will be able to kiss her later keeps him smiling as his front door opens and Tobias’ voice calls out, “Jethro!”

“In here,” he says as he stirs some food cooking on the stove. 

“I always love to see you in an apron, Jethro, though when I walked in, I thought you might be showering. Sounds like the water’s running,” Tobias says looking around suspiciously. “Was that Sloane’s car outside?”   
  
“You’re here early,” Gibbs says after a moment as he continues to cook without paying attention to any of Fornell’s earlier statements.

“Yes, the rehab Emily is in had a lunch celebration with visitors, but I couldn’t stay all day. So here I am. Why do you sound so unhappy about that? Did I disturb something?” Fornell asks suspiciously, gesturing upstairs.

“He’s just grumpy that he's cooking all of the food last minute,” Jack says, having just come down the stairs. She had decided to shower and is now changed into the red sweater dress, black leggings, and black boots. She hadn’t washed her hair again, so she had just brushed through the loose waves that arrived after washing it last night and then reapplied her makeup. Jack sees the light on Gibbs’ face and Fornell notices the smile they share. Jack walks to Fornell and asks, “How is Emily doing? It must have been great seeing her.”

With one long look at Jack, Gibbs passes by them and heads upstairs while Jack takes control of the kitchen. Fornell assists her as needed and the two carry a conversation about Emily. Fornell doesn’t impose any of his suspicions about the two of them on Jack and him speaking. Before Gibbs arrives back downstairs, Grace as well as Vance with his two children arrive. 

When Gibbs returns to the kitchen, Tobias moves into the living room with the others after a moment where he points his suspicious eyes at Gibbs. Left alone then, Jack looks him up and down. He had showered as well and had changed into a grey sweater and a nice pair of jeans, neither of which Gibbs has worn often. He stands close to her, but since they stand in front of the doorway, they don’t touch. “Well, Cowboy, you look attractive,” she whispers excitedly. “Also, that sweater looks incredibly soft.”

“It is,” he responds quietly. “We can step away from the food for a minute?” he asks.

“Yes. Why?” Jack asks. In response, he grabs a hold of her arm gently and pulls her out of the view of the people in the living room thorugh the doorway. 

He leans down to place a quick kiss on her lips. He pulls away saying, “Needed a taste of those red lips. Nice outfit.”

“Thank you, Gibbs,” she says with a blush. She rubs lipstick from his face with one hand and runs her other hand along the soft fabric. “Very soft.” A buzzer sounds, and Jack hops back in front of the oven. Gibbs follows behind her with a smile. She looks at him and feigns innocence when asking, “What’s that smile about, Cowboy?”

“Miracles,” he says, and her face lights up with a smile.

“There have been a lot of those this Christmas. I’m looking forward to more,” she says.

“Me too, Jack. Me too.” As more people enter Gibbs’ house and laughter and conversation grows louder, Jack and Gibbs look at each other happily. Christmas has already been so great for them, and they both know that they only have more joy to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all of those that have been reading this! I hope you're all enjoying it! I would love to know what everyone thinks!


	5. Chapter 5

With dinner ready, Gibbs and Jack carry the food to the table. Finally able to greet all of those that had arrived, Jack and Gibbs go around the room hugging each member of their self-constructed family who are sitting on the couch, the coffee table, chairs pulled from the dining, and the floor. The children all run up to hug Gibbs’ legs, and he reaches down happily to hug all of them. He may not be an actual grandfather to any of them, but he feels like he is.

“So you managed to cook all of this food since we left huh? They were still asleep when Bishop and I came over this morning,” Nick says, intentionally hinting at what they had come across in the morning. The implication doesn’t miss anyone of the people gathered. The whole room — made up of Tim and Delilah and their twins, Ellie, Nick, Vance and his two children, Palmer and his wife and daughter, Ducky, Kasie, Grace, Phil, and Leyla and Amira who are Mike Frank’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter — reacts with widened eyes and suspicious faces. 

“Manage to get all your last minute gifts, Nick?” Gibbs says, calling him out. 

“In fact, I did, Boss,” Nick says with a smile, grinning with pride and pointing to the foyer where all of the gifts had been piled around the tree that Gibbs had placed there.

“Mh,” Gibbs grunts with a grin. “Dinner’s ready. Let’s go,” he says while gesturing to the food at the table.

“Not yet, Jethro,” Ducky says.

Gibbs narrows his eyes in question as he looks around at the number of knowing smiles displayed on everyone’s faces, including Jack’s. “What’s going on?” he questions them. 

Jack, who found her way to be standing directly beside him, runs her hand on his arm, saying in a tone that always comforts him, “Just wait another minute, Santa.” He grins at her in the same moment that he narrows his eyes in a mixture of joy and frustration. His eyes are still on her when a car pulls up to park on the side of the road in front of his house where many other cars are parked. 

“They’re here!” Ellie says excitedly. Since it became dark outside, the snow had begun to fall again. Now, it is falling to the point that it is hard to see the figures clearly, but Gibbs can still make out three adults and a child trudging through the snow.

With a smile on his face, Gibbs walks over to the door and opens it, already sure of who will be coming through it. “Gibbs!” A child’s voice calls and runs the rest of the way. He drops to his knees, ignoring how they creak, and hugs Tali once she comes through the door. After a quick hug, the girl continues on to see McGee and the others she has heard so many stories about. 

The next through the door is Mr. Dinozzo who pats Gibbs’ shoulder and says hello before going to drop the gifts he is carrying around the tree. He is followed by Ziva who whispers, “Surprise,” before walking through the door to say hello again to everyone and thank them for keeping their appearance a secret. 

The final person of the group to arrive is Tony who walks in saying, “Merry Christmas, Boss!”

Gibbs pulls him into a hug and pats the back of his head gently while saying, “I’m not your boss anymore.” Pulling away from the hug, Gibbs says, “Go on. See everyone.” Tony does precisely as suggested and goes around hugging his old friends and shaking the hands of the people he has learned about through conversation with Ziva and the others. 

Gibbs returns to Jack’s side as they watch everyone talking and introducing themselves. Everyone is laughing at the staring contest between Ziva and Nick that had begun out of nowhere when Tony comes to stand in front of Jack and Gibbs. Tony extends his hand politely to Jack, but she shakes her head and pulls him into a hug. “I have heard a lot about you, Tony. It’s nice to finally meet the legend.”

“You too, Jack. I have heard a lot about you from a lot of people. All very good, and with _this_ , I know it all to be true,” Tony says pulling from the hug and examining the happy look on Gibbs’ face. “Thank you for getting this all to happen, Jack”   


Ziva reaches them after winning the staring contest with a comment that causes Nick's attention to be turned to Ellie. She hugs Jack and says, “Really! We owe you for this.”

Jack shakes her head. “No, no. Getting the family together for Gibbs, and all of you, is worth it,” she says quietly, but the sharp intake of breath from Gibbs makes her aware that he has heard everything. As Tony and Ziva’s attention returns to the rest of the group, Jack announces, “Okay, guys! Let’s get dinner now! Gibbs and I didn’t cook dinner all afternoon for it to be cold when everyone finally eats.” 

They all move to file into a line through the dining room and kitchen to get the food while Gibbs pulls Jack into the foyer. “You did this?” Gibbs asks.

Jack shrugged. “Everyone played a part. I just thought of the idea with Ziva around and when you decided to have Christmas dinner here. It was Tony and Ziva who actually decided whether it happened or not. Oh, and their gifts are under the tree.”

“You didn’t actually take them to the post office,” he says, remembering how strange it was when she suggested, but that he had a lot on his mind at the time so he agreed.

“Nope,” Jack says with a proud smile.

She takes a slow inhale of breath as he leans down and kisses her cheek. “Thank you,” he says.

Before she can respond, a child’s voice squeals, “Ooooo! Gibbs kissed Miss Jack’s cheek! Gibbs kissed Miss Jack’s cheek!” They look over to see Victoria running to tell the adults and other children. Jack is laughing as they join the line in the kitchen. Every grown person’s eyes and smirks are directed at the two of them as all of the children join in on the chant. “Gibbs kissed Miss Jack’s cheek!” Nick and Ellie join immediately after and are followed by Jimmy, Kasie, Fornell, Grace, and Phil, who each express their own humor in saying the words. The blush intensifies on Jack’s face as Gibbs smirks. 

It is Ducky who causes the chant to end when he says over the many voices, “Children! Children! I don’t know about you, but I want us to eat, so that I can open my Christmas gifts.” 

With that, the noise dies down, and everyone gets through the line before moving into the living room to eat. Jack is given a seat on the edge of the couch by Tim who sits on the ground next to his children. Gibbs sits on the arm of the couch just next to Jack. She says that they can switch places, but he doesn’t want to. After all, sitting there gives him the opportunity to put his arm behind her without being too obvious. 

As they eat, laughter and conversation fills the room as adults and children enjoy the company of each other and some get better acquainted. Excitement, though, only grows greater as people finish eating and the gifts begin to be passed out. Jack attempts to get up to help, but everyone insists that Jack and Gibbs as well as the children stay seated as the gifts are distributed. Everyone ends up with a rather tall stack of gifts once there is none left under the tree. 

“Is everyone ready?” Ducky asks. They all nod and the children squeal excitedly. “Begin.”

As everyone makes it through the pile of gifts, Gibbs’ favorite so far is the picture frame from the night they all went drinking that is given to him by Torres. He is thinking about how he is going to place it on his fireplace mantel when Jack squeals, “Gibbs! I got to the gift from you!” She is patting her hand on his hip excitedly. “Watch! I’m going to open it!” She rips off the wrapping paper and opens the box. She finds it wrapped again in tissue paper, and exclaims, “Gibbs! You did not have to wrap it this much.” In her excitement, the room has turned their attention to the two of them, but neither Gibbs nor Jack notice. All of her focus is getting to the gift and all of his is on her reaction. She finally tears off the last piece and holds it in her hands as she takes in the beauty of it. 

“An elephant?” Nick asks loudly and the others shush him. 

It  _ is _ an elephant, whittled from a log, surrounded by trees, bushes, and even a pond. It has been painted wonderfully. The image is clear and perfect. Half of the log remains beneath the landscape made with the top half. In that bottom part, the words are etched into the bark,  _ It’s the elephant in its natural habitat. For Jack.  _ Tears arise in her eyes. She smiles as she looks back at him. She wipes the tears from her eyes. “Cowboy, it’s perfect. It is so perfect.” She holds it in her hands, thinking about how it isn’t the elephant _in the room_ anymore with the events of the last day, but that it was when he began this. What this means warms her heart. It brings her joy. She can see it in his eyes. He doesn’t want any elephants in the room anymore. Neither does she. 

She reaches up and kisses him on the cheek this time. The room is filled with ooo’s, and Jack and Gibbs only laugh in response. “Okay! Now, open mine. It’s not as good, but I hope you’ll like it!” He finds the gift immediately after, and opens it with ease, managing to not tear any of the paper. Within the box, he finds watercolors and an empty canvas. On the empty canvas, a sticky note written in his own handwriting says,  _ Merry Christmas _ . With a smile, she says, “I was going to suggest that you paint an elephant, but you have done that already, so maybe a moth. Or a ladybug. Or a butterfly.” He looks at her with a smile and laughs warmly, loudly so that his entire face lights up. Jack is proud of her success. That response, that laugh is all she thought about as she chose this gift. 

“You kept the sticky note,” he says with a smile. He reaches for her hand and squeezes it, intertwining their fingers. 

“I did. And I heard you like to paint with watercolors,” Jack says, and Gibbs looks to McGee after a moment of staring at her happily. 

“She pried it out of me, Boss!” McGee says.

“I did. I did. But after seeing my gift, I can’t wait to see what you can do with a canvas,” Jack says. 

After a few moments of the group watching the two, they return to opening their gifts. Gibbs and Jack also have several left to open which they do while holding the gifts they had gotten from the other closer. As everyone looks over their presents and thanks one another, Jack looks up to Gibbs and asks, “Are you sure you like the present?”

“Positive. I love it,” he says softly and leans down to kiss her forehead. 

“If you weren’t already sure with the tears, I love mine so much!” Jack says. She leans her head against his side, and he wraps his arm closer to her with his hand and rubs her shoulder. They sit there together just like that surrounded by their family. They listen and laugh as they celebrate Christmas with true joy and the love of family, all of which is another miracle for both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! I can't believe how close to Christmas we are! Anyways, let me know what you thought of the surprise guests and the gifts! Thank you so much for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

As the Christmas party goes later into the night, the adults talk and goof around inside as the children play outside in the snow that falls in light flurries now. Jack is still leaning into Gibbs’ side while laughing when her phone rings. She gasps, truly surprised when she sees the caller I.D. _Faith_ , it says. She shows it to Gibbs, who squeezes her hand, and she answers the phone as she stands and passes him.

“Merry Christmas, Faith!” She says excitedly, trying to hide her worry that is not only about the medical documents from earlier in the year but also about what could have brought her to call.

“Merry Christmas, Jack,” Faith says more quietly. Jack stands in the foyer, looking out at the children playing in the snow as a moment of quiet passes over them.

“How has your Christmas been? I hope that it’s been good,” Jack says 

“It has. I meant to call you and wish you a Merry Christmas earlier today, but I got distracted. I just finally got home and decided to call,” Faith says noncommittally. Jack can hear her discomfort, and Jack feels the same. It’s not easy. “Did I disturb your celebration? Have you had a good Christmas?” Faith asks quickly after another moment of uncomfortable quiet.

“You didn’t disturb anything. And yes, I have. I’ve been blessed to spend time with my friends and their family. And you calling me has only made Christmas so much better. Some may say it’s a miracle,” Jack says in a soft voice infused in joy. Tears begin to blur her vision, but they don’t fall yet. 

“Yes, it is,” Faith says. Both women breathe, and then Faith says in a rush, “Well, I’ll let you get back to it.”

“Okay. Merry Christmas. Remember, I’m here anytime you need anything or want to talk. Thank you for calling,” Jack says. 

“Yeah. Goodnight, Jack. Merry Christmas,” Faith responds. Jack is left wiping tears from her eyes as she tries to place her focus on the children outside and on how wonderful the day has been so far and on how much growth it is in her relationship with Faith for her to call. 

Gibbs is turning his head to look back at Jack every few minutes, so when she removes her phone from her ear and wipes her eyes, he stands and walks over to her. He wraps his arm around her back and asks, “Jack?”

Jack looks up at him, comforted by his warm hold on her and his caring eyes. He is hurt by the tears in her eyes. “She called to wish me a Merry Christmas. An amazing growth. Um, but very uncomfortable,” Jack rationalizes.

“You’re right. Growth. And a miracle,” he says, and Jack nods. Gibbs looks out at the view of the children playing that Jack had been staring out at for the whole call. “I have an idea.”

“What’s that, Cowboy?” Jack asks with a grin. 

“Play in the snow,” he says definitively.

“Me and you?” She asks with a laugh, surprised at the suggestion.

“And the kids,” he says. Jack laughs immediately, but when he continues nodding with certainty, Jack agrees. “I’ll get our coats and gloves,” Gibbs says and leaves her for a moment only to return as he is asked where he’s going. He just waves off the questions, helps Jack slide on her coat, and opens the door so they can head out. 

The children see them instantly and run over. “Gibbs! Miss Jack!” They shout, “Are you going to play with us?”

The smiles on the children’s faces spread to the adults as Jack says, “Yes, if you’ll have us?” 

The kids squeal excitedly and ask, “Will you help us build a snowman? We aren’t big enough to make it by ourselves.”

“Yes,” Jack immediately agrees and bends down to their level. “We will divide and conquer. Gibbs will lead the group in charge of the bottom of the snow. I will lead the middle part, and we will all work together on the top.”

“Hands in, kiddos,” Gibbs says as they form a circle. After being instructed by Jack, they all count to three and yell, “Best Christmas ever!”

As the minutes goes on, the parts of the snowman begin to take shape and the adults' attention in the living room is turned to the fun had by everyone outside. The first to jump up and announce they’re going out to play is Nick who is immediately followed by Tony and then Ellie. As all the others make their way outside, the snowman is put together quicker than expected with the help of the adults. Kids run to get pebbles and sticks to make the face.

Ducky and Vance, who are the only ones not yet playing in the snow or sitting on Gibbs’ porch, walk out, and Vance calls out, “I think you’re forgetting something.” Tony, who carries Tali on his shoulders, runs up to the two older men followed by some of the children who are distracted from the original task by the appearance of a carrot for the nose. 

As everyone gathers around the snowman as the pieces are placed, Ducky says, “I do believe that there's one thing left that is needed for this snowman’s attire.” Quickly, he undoes his bowtie and passes it over to Gibbs, who ties it onto the snowman. 

“Perfect,” Jack announces, and the children squeal happily as the adults laugh and clap at their achievement. Gibbs has pulled Jack into a hug at his side when she feels a pull on the bottom edge of her dress. She looks down to find Morgan, McGee's daughter, who is now a beautiful toddler that is the perfect mixture of her mother and father. “Yes, honey?” Jack asks, bending down to speak to her more easily.

“How do you make snowballs, Miss Jack?” She asks in the jumbled pronunciations of a small child. Jack demonstrates for her, and Morgan catches on quickly. Morgan takes the snowball that she made herself and throws it directly at her Uncle Tony. They all laugh and compliment Morgan on her throwing arm when Tony makes his own snowball, tossing it softly at her. Morgan squeals and runs behind Gibbs from fright. The snowball, which was thrown high purposefully to not hit Morgan, hits Gibbs right in the middle of his chest.

Everyone gasps as Gibbs looks at Tony with his signature glare. The silence is excruciating as Tony chokes while saying, “Sorry, Boss.”

Gibbs bends down and rolls up a snowball as everyone around him is frozen. With ease, Gibbs throws the snowball and hits Tony right in the middle of the face. He is stunned for a moment, but bends down to make another one. The shot misses though when he throws it and hits Fornell by accident. “Holy Fourth of July Weenie Roast, it’s on!” Fornell says, and Gibbs passes him a snowball. Fornell throws it, but Tony ducks behind Nick, and it hits Nick instead. War has begun.

With the adults careful not to harm any of the young ones, they move to the edges of the yard and throw the snowball at one another forcefully. As Gibbs chunks snowballs rapidly at his agents and friends, a large snowball hits Gibbs in the back of the head with the greatest force that he had felt so far. He turns to determine the culprit and finds Jack’s smirk. She is backing up from him quickly as he runs toward her, throwing one snowball after another at her. She gets far enough away from Gibbs to get more snowballs. She throws them at him while trying to keep her distance, but when she winds up at the edge of his yard, she is only able to dodge the attack of snow from Gibbs. When he is finally within grasp of her, he throws one final snowball that hits her in the shoulder as she trips on raised ground beneath the snow. Gibbs tries to grab her and keep her upright, but instead he trips on the same raised earth, and they fall together back in the thick blanket of snow.

While the other people, children and adults alike, focus on playing and winning in the snowball fight, Jack laughs brightly and Gibbs responds in his own warm chuckles. Gibbs pulls her closer. “This is great, Cowboy,” she says.

“Mhm,” he responds and turns his body to face her directly. With the fun of his family in the background, Gibbs takes Jack’s lips in a soft kiss. 

“Ew! Gibbs and Miss Jack are lip kissing!” Johnny, McGee’s son, yells out. They pull apart as both children and adults say, “Eww!”

Jack places her head against his chest as the blush reaches her cheeks, and Gibbs holds her close. “Sorry. Guess I couldn’t help myself.”

She laughs. “I’m glad you did. I have almost kissed you a number of times tonight.” They stay laying there as the appearance of them in the snow distracts the children who moments after calling out their disgust are quitting the snowball fight to make snow angels. As the night grows later, the snowball fight comes completely to an end as people make snow angels and return to happy conversation while now sitting out in the cold. Jack and Gibbs get less looks now that they have been caught kissing, and they indulge in the laughter and conversation with their family. 

At one point, when the children run past them happily, Jack leans over and says, “Thank you, Cowboy.”

“For what?”

“For family,” she responds. In answer, he pulls her into a tight hug. They all are each other’s family, and everyone gathered there knows it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter! I was really just wanting a team snowball fight when I was writing this, so I hope you liked that! Let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

Becoming later as well as colder, the visitors begin to pack up their gifts and wish farewell before heading on their way. Tony, Ziva, Tali, and Mr. Dinozzo leave at the same time as Tim, Delilah, and their children because the kids wanted to spend the night and McGee offered for them to all stay with him. They are quickly followed by the others who all thank Gibbs and Jack for the party. The last to leave are Grace and Tobias. The first congratulates them both and hurries out. The latter hangs around talking nonsense with the purpose of irritating Gibbs. With a terse, “Night, Tobias,” he finally leaves the two alone. 

Gibbs and Jack watch as the final cars drive away. “That was fun,” Jack says as she stands and walks to where Gibbs is leaning against the doorway while watching her intently. 

The smile on her face brings one to his as well. “Yes, it was,” he responds. He reaches out to her and pulls her into a hug when she is within arms reach. Jack hugs onto him tightly, burying her head in his chest. “You’re so warm,” he mutters into her hair and leans down to kiss her neck softly. 

She pulls her head back. “You are too, Gibbs,” she says and stands on her tiptoes to kiss him. 

“Think warm enough to sleep upstairs?” Gibbs asks as he pulls back from the kiss.

“Positively,” she says, pulling back. She starts to walk to the stairs when Gibbs lets go of her hand. 

When she asks where he is going, he responds, “Drinks.”

Jack immediately shakes her head. “No bourbon, Gibbs.” 

“I know. Want a clear head too, Jack. Getting coffee,” he says. 

“No, Gibbs. Water. I do want to sleep at some point tonight. Not right away, but eventually,” she says to him. When he turns back to her, there is a dark tint of attraction in his bright blue eyes and a smirk on her face. She blows him a kiss and says, “I’ll catch you upstairs, Cowboy.” He catches the kiss in his hand as she turns and runs to the stairs fast. He reaches to grab her, but she dodges his hand. He forgets about coffee or water, for that matter, and runs after her. 

Running through his bedroom door, he finds her sitting on the edge of his bed. He walks to her slowly, and he kisses her. He kisses her as he pushes her back on the bed, and he kisses her as the clothes fall away. He kisses her, and he realizes the miracle that has presented itself before him. Jack is a miracle. He kisses her again.

Jack wakes to the soft brush of Gibbs’ kisses along the scars on her back. A tear at his softness escapes her eyes, but she keeps her breathing steady. “You’re so beautiful, Jack. I’m so lucky,” he says, sensing that she has woken up. He had been awake for a little while, and he was hoping, perhaps selfishly, that this would wake her.

She turns to him, and she doesn’t bother wiping away the tear. “I’m the lucky one, Gibbs.”

“Call it even,” he says, and he pulls her closer and into another kiss. 

They break from the kiss, and Gibbs hugs tightly to her with his head buried in the crook of her neck. She lays with her head buried in his chest. She listens to his heartbeat, and she relives the moments of earlier in night. It was perfect. It was all perfect. And cuddling here with him is perfect too. He really is so warm, loving, and caring.

The comfortable silence persists and eventually Jack asks quietly, “What is on your mind, Cowboy?”

“Miracles,” he says before humming into the skin of her neck.

“We have had a lot of those in the past couple of days, haven’t we?” Jack says. 

He kisses her neck, but lifts his head to say, “Yes. You have given me a lot of them, Jack.”

“You have given me quite a few as well, Cowboy,” she says before taking his lips in a kiss again. She rolls them over, so that she lays on top of him as she continues to kiss him. 

She pulls back from the kiss to look at him longingly, and he runs his hand along her bare skin. He smiles at her, and he says, “So, Jacqueline, how do you do it? How do you give me so many miracles?”

She kisses from his jaw, down his neck, and onto his chest. She mumbles against his skin, “Oh, you know... I'm pretty awesome...”

He slides his hand to cup her cheek and lifts her face from kissing the skin of his shoulder. “Yes, but I mean it. How do all of these miracles happen with you, Jack?”

She smiles and places a quick kiss to his lips. “Oh, Gibbs, all it takes for a miracle to happen is a little effort and a whole lot of love. And, Jethro, I do love you.”

He brings her in for another kiss that lingers on. When they pull apart, he looks into her brown eyes that he finds so unbelievably beautiful. “I love you too, Jack.” He pulls her against his chest. They stay there, holding close to each other as night turns to day, and they enjoy the love they both feel and the miracle of their own creation that brought them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter, and I'm so happy to have completed it! This is my first chapter fic, and, honestly, I'm gleeful! Sorry that this is a much shorter chapter than my previous chapters, but I hope it was still enjoyable! Anyways, thank you so very much to anyone and everyone who reads this! I would love to know what you think! The comments and kudos throughout have really played a huge part in getting me through it! And for all of you, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and the new year is just around the corner!


End file.
